Resurrected
by NatashaS
Summary: Post S7 (1st episode of S8, if you like) Anya and Spike have been brought back, and they need to find the gang, with an unpleasant encounter with Angel on the way. But how will Buffy and co. deal with it now that they've settled down into their new lives?
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
OK people - my first fan fic. This is only the first chapter - I've already written the next one, but I'd like to know what you think of the idea. There'll be more about Buffy and her friends and their life, but before I post more, reviews are very welcome!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was a bright place. That's all Anya could see. A bright place. White light all around her, she was all alone. At least she thought so, until she saw a figure approach her slowly. She suddenly realised who it was.  
  
'Spike? Is that you?' Her voice was echoey but clear.  
  
'Anya?' Spike's distinct British accent echoed through the emptiness.  
  
'Oh my G-d!' She ran to his figure, tried to hug it, but walked right through him as if he were a ghost.  
  
'Spike, what's going on? Where are we?' She'd turned around to look at him. 'What happened, did we win?'  
  
He was silent for a moment, remembering. 'Yes.'  
  
Her mouth expanded into a great smile. 'That's amazing! Where is everyone?'  
  
Spike looked at her deeply. 'Anya, we're both dead. I think this is heaven. At least I know it's not hell.!' He laughed happily.  
  
Anya raised her eyebrows. 'Spike what are you laughing about?'  
  
'Anya, I was the one! I opened the mouth of hell, all the vampires were dusted, and Sunnydale is history!' He sounded incredibly triumphant.  
  
'Sunnydale's gone.forever?' She was shocked.  
  
He nodded. 'Yep. No more stupid hellmouth or vampires or.' He paused, his joy turning to sorrow. 'Slayer.'  
  
Anya ignored his change of tone, but was eager to hear more. 'Wait. you saved the world? What happened to everyone else - Buffy, Willow, Dawn, Andrew, Giles, Faith, Robin, the Slayers, Xander.?' Her voice trailed away at the last name. She suddenly remembered how she had hoped that after beating the evil, she and Xander could get back together. But now that was impossible considering she was.well.dead.  
  
'They beat the evil. They all survived and managed to get out in time. Well, except for us.'  
  
They were quiet for a moment and then both realised something was wrong. Anya was the first to say something. 'Hey, Spike, if we're meant to be in heaven, we shouldn't really be able to talk to each other. And we shouldn't be able to feel all these emotions,' she paused to see if he understood her.  
  
'You're right. But when you tried to hug me you walked right through me.if we're in heaven, why aren't we peaceful?'  
  
Their thoughts were interrupted by a booming voice all around them. 'William Bennett, Anyanka?' They looked at each other, confused.  
  
'Hang on, who's William Bennett?' Anya asked curiously. He hung his head in shame.  
  
'That would be me.'  
  
'Jeez, what a dumb name.' Anya muttered quietly, however, Spike heard her.  
  
'Oh, yes, and "Anyanka" is just bloody wonderful.' he fired back sarcastically. She scowled at him, but then they both realised someone had called their names.  
  
'Yeah?' They both called out at the same time. The voice continued to boom.  
  
'You are at the gates of heaven. This is where the dead come.'  
  
'OK, great, Mr G-d. Now, uh, could you let us in?' Anya spoke anxiously.  
  
The voice seemed amused. 'It's not that simple. Normally I would be letting you in right now, but there are some technical difficulties.'  
  
Spike scoffed. 'Let me guess. Because I was an evil vampire that killed hundreds of people and Anya was a vengeance demon that caused pain to many men, we're not allowed in and we're going to the hell that is now completely underground.'  
  
Anya looked at him panicked. 'Is that what you're trying to say?'  
  
The voice, however, didn't change its tone. 'Not quite. The good news is, you're not going to hell.' Anya was relieved. 'But you're not going to heaven either. Yet.'  
  
Both their jaws dropped at this voice's remark. 'So what then, we're gonna float in the middle of nowhere?' Anya asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
'No. You both have a place to be. And that's Earth.'  
  
'What?!' They both screamed. They were feeling mixed emotions; annoyance for dying and not going to heaven, but also excitement for the possibility of seeing all their friends again. 'You both died doing something remarkable. Anya - you died killing evil and saving a human life at the same time. You were meant to survive, but Spike's intervention and the destruction of Sunnydale changed that.'  
  
Anya stopped to consider this for a moment.  
  
'And Spike - do I even have to tell you? You removed hell on earth. You deserve life. And when I say life, I mean life as a human.'  
  
Spike's eyes widened. 'You mean I'm gonna come back to Earth as a human?' If the voice had a face, it would've smiled. 'Yes.'  
  
Anya and Spike caught each other's eyes, both smiling widely, and that was the last thing they saw before they were spun away into reality, both having received a second chance at life. 


	2. New Home, New Life

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Thank you everybody for the encouraging reviews! I was really nervous.but I've posted the next chapter - slightly longer - and you find out what happened to everybody else. Please keep the reviews coming!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Spike and Anya woke up at the same time. They looked around them. It was daytime and unbelievably, they were at the edge of the canyon where Sunnydale once was. They saw each other, and realised what they both thought was a dream was real. They were both alive, both on earth, and both humans.  
  
'Spike we're alive!' Anya jumped up to hug him, and this time didn't walk through him, but felt someone there.  
  
'We're back baby!' he shouted. He hugged her and when he let go stopped to look at himself.  
  
'This is the first time in over a hundred years that I've stood out in the sunlight.' He paused. 'Well, without the Gem of Amarra and that.' He touched his arms, his face, just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Anya stood there smiling at him, giving him space for what must've been an emotional moment. He looked at her. 'Hey, if I'm human, then how old am I?'  
  
She shrugged. 'I dunno, maybe the age you were turned. How old were you then?'  
  
He realised something privately. 'As old as Buffy is now.' He smiled. 'I have my whole life ahead of me!'  
  
'And I'm human too, which means I have my 1120 years erased, I'm really 23 again!' Anya screamed excitedly.  
  
Both of them danced and laughed for a few minutes together, just because they were human again. But when they stopped, Anya's face contorted.  
  
'Hey, Spike, what do we do now?'  
  
He was still smiling. 'What do you mean?'  
  
'Well, do we just find the gang, and say "hey, guess what, we're alive?"'  
  
He paused. 'Yeah.'  
  
'Oh, just wanted to get that clear.'  
  
**********  
  
It had been 6 months since they'd blown up Sunnydale. Some of the gang had gone their separate ways, some had stayed together.  
  
Giles went back to England, after promising Buffy he would remain there for her if she ever needed anything, and apologised for almost killing Spike, which would've obviously been a dumb thing to do.  
  
Andrew, even though it was hard for him, left them and went to Nashville to become a Buddhist and search for the positive things in life.  
  
Faith and Robin Wood had gone to LA together and were fighting crime and demons with their combined strength and the help of Angel's crew. When Robin had met Angel, they'd gotten along instantly on the hobby of hating Spike.  
  
All the surviving Slayerettes (except one) had returned to their homes, and come up with some pretty wild explanations to their parents about why they had been gone so long.  
  
Buffy, Willow, Dawn, Xander and Kennedy had all moved to San Francisco together. (Kennedy was one of the new fully powered vampire slayers. She and Willow had hit it off back when they were preventing another apocalypse. She proved to be quite useful in most fighting situations, plus was a pleasant person to have around the house. Even though she always left the toilet seat up). Xander had bought his own apartment, and the rest of them had moved into one large house together.  
  
They thought that San Francisco was a good place to live because it was close to LA, where the rest of their gang was located, but it also had very nice scenery, and its own demonic activity.  
  
Now, since they had moved, they had all tried to restart their lives, however this was proving very difficult. Buffy was still unemployed, Dawn was just settling into her new school, but felt very left out. Xander had applied for countless jobs on building sites and anything related, and just managed to get a $5/hr job helping build small houses. Kennedy was working as a waitress in a local (human, not demon) bar, and Willow was working part-time for the CIA in the hacker-prevention department. Somehow, all of this was barely enough to pay all the bills. But, thanks to their constant positive attitude after ridding the world of ultimate evil, they didn't really seem to care. This Sunday morning was no different.  
  
Kennedy rushed down the stairs bouncily after taking a refreshing shower and greeted Buffy and Dawn. 'Morning Buffy, morning Dawn. Is Xander coming over today?' She walked over to the counter where the cereal and milk were located. She opened a cupboard, grabbed a bowl and started pouring.  
  
'Uh, no, he has to work. Where's Willow?' Buffy said munching her cereal.  
  
'She's on her way down,' Kennedy gave a cheeky grin. 'I kinda soaked her in the shower, she came in and I-  
  
'OK, we don't need details!' Buffy stopped her abruptly. Dawn secretly smiled.  
  
'So what's the plan today guys?' Kennedy asked.  
  
Buffy shrugged. 'Uh, nothing I guess. You guys have any ideas?'  
  
They stared at her in amazement.  
  
'You mean we don't have to look up stuff in books the entire day?!' Dawn seemed in awe of this newly found freedom.  
  
Buffy gave her a sarcastic smile. 'As much as I know you'll miss it.I just thought that we could, you know, have a free day for once. We can do something together, or go do our own stuff.'  
  
Kennedy immediately interrupted. 'Oh my G-d, me and Willow have been dying to go to this play in the city. It's all about the difficult life of witches in today's world, and.'  
  
'OK, you guys go, we can already tell we're not interested!'  
  
Just then, Willow came down the stairs, brushing her wet hair and in obviously just changed clothes. 'Morning, guys. What's going on?'  
  
'Hey, Will, we can finally go see that play we've wanted to for ages!' Kennedy exclaimed.  
  
Willow looked confused. 'Really? We have a free day?' The rest of them nodded. She smiled. 'Great, let's go!' Kennedy ran to her, grabbed her hand, and they rushed out without even saying goodbye.  
  
Buffy began: 'Well, I guess it just you and-  
  
'This is so cool, I can finally go to the mall with Kate!' Dawn jumped up.  
  
'Huh?' Buffy was surprised.  
  
'I've kept cancelling on her because we've had to study and stuff.but now I'm free, we can go!' She rushed over and hugged Buffy. 'Thanks so much, you are the greatest sister ever!' She ran to the door and grabbed her coat.  
  
'Sure, just don't forget to leave your cell phone on!' Buffy shouted as Dawn rushed out the door.  
  
Buffy rested her chin on the table. 'I guess it's just me. Alone. Again.'  
  
Six months ago, Buffy had watched Spike die before her very eyes. It had been so difficult for her, because at that moment she had realised how much she loved him. All she ever thought about these days was "what if he'd survived? Would we have stood a chance?" Of course, that same day she had seen Angel, and almost thought about perhaps having a life with him one day. But somehow she knew she couldn't love him as much as she had before, or as much as she had loved Spike at that moment. But now that her love was dead, was this her only choice? When she thought about it, the only strong relationships she'd ever had, they were both with vampires. Couldn't she fall in love with a human, just once?  
  
And Anya had died.Xander had been completely heartbroken. Why was it so unfair? OK, so they'd destroyed all the vampires, and the rest of the gang had survived.but why couldn't they all have survived? Was that just too much to ask?  
  
But now it was time to move on. Move on from her last seven years in Sunnydale. That was all in the past. Heck, all that was left of it was a great big hole in the ground.  
  
Now they were in San Francisco; it was a whole new beginning with all her friends. It was great.  
  
But somehow, when she looked back on all the years; how many people she'd lost, how many emotions she'd felt; how most of it was gone now.she couldn't help but feel slightly empty. Would she ever feel full again? Was there anything or anyone that could return that feeling to her?  
  
All she could hope for now was a miracle. 


	3. Donkeys, Cactii and Breakdowns

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Now, I know that Cordy's in a coma at this point etc, but I liked the idea of having her in this fic. The Angel gang's kinda like they were in season 3 of Angel. Again, thanks for the reviews! (my friends are getting sick of me because I'm overly happy all the time now). I will keep writing and posting, please keep reading!  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Far away from San Francisco, Anya and Spike had hitched a ride on a donkey cart that was randomly driving away from New Mexico. They had mutually decided that their best shot would be going to LA and trying to find the gang or, worst case scenario, asking Angel or Cordy where they were.  
  
In the mean time, the cart 'driver' was trying to make small talk.  
  
'So, uh, where are you two from?'  
  
They glanced at each other and almost burst into giggles. 'You want the truth or do you want what is closest to it?' Spike remarked.  
  
The cart driver looked at them with a puzzled face. 'Your call.'  
  
They caught each other's eyes, and both decided to take the safe way out. 'I'm from London,' Spike said.  
  
'And I'm from Scandinavia,' Anya added.  
  
'Huh. . .' commented the cart driver. 'So what brings you to this hellhole?'  
  
They both knew he had meant 'hellhole' as in a dreary place, but the accidental pun was too funny to resist. They both burst out laughing without even thinking.  
  
'Wha. . .what's so funny?' He said staring at them. In a fit of hysterics, Spike just managed to answer: 'Private joke.'  
  
Surprisingly enough, the cart driver avoided making small talk after that.  
  
**********  
  
Meanwhile in LA, Cordy and Angel were talking for the millionth time about the final fight and beating the ultimate evil. Cordy had been through a lot of mini evils, and of course, she'd never enjoyed them, but somehow Angel could tell there was a small part of her that wished she had been there to fight. However, Angel kept pointing out to her that he hadn't been there either; all he knew was what Buffy had told him.  
  
This time, Cordy was philosophising again about the entire situation. 'Gee, I can't believe Spike died. And so nobly, to save the entire world.and to think, he was once one of them and then he. . .' Cordy saw Angel's look of extreme resentment, remembering how he'd been 'rejected' by Buffy because of Spike. At least he thought so, nobody else did.  
  
'Oh, for crying out loud, Angel, for the hundredth time, she did not turn you away because of him! G-d, I can't believe you're jealous of a dead guy. . .' He stared at her sarcastically. 'OK, a dead guy who doesn't walk on Earth.'  
  
'Well, as pathetic as it might sound Cordelia, I am. Because when he died, a part of her died with him. I thought we were meant to be together forever, but she loves him so much, we'll never get another chance. Spike was Buffy's soul mate, not me.'  
  
Cordelia frowned, and realised she had said too much. 'Alright, forget about Spike. But what about Anya? She used to be evil too, and she died fighting for the good. It seems so unfair, technically she and Spike went through the worst process; turning from evil to good, and fighting for good, not letting the temptation of going back to their roots get them. And they're the ones that die. I think that sucks. You understand what I'm saying?' Cordelia sometimes tended to babble to herself, and Angel had gotten used to just zoning out every time she did. Therefore his reply of, 'yeah, of course,' was completely automatic.  
  
'I just wish they had a second chance at life, y'know? Cause, if anybody deserves it, it's them.'  
  
Normally, Angel wouldn't have agreed with this statement, considering it meant bringing Spike back, but again, he just treated it as babbling. 'Absolutely, Cordelia. Absolutely.'  
  
**********  
  
'171.172.173. Wow, who would've guessed.'  
  
While Xander was working, while Kennedy and Willow were out watching a play, and while Dawn was out at the mall with her friend, Buffy was using her free day doing anything pointless she could think of. Now that she'd finished counting the number of spikes on the mini cactus, she was stuck on what she could do next.  
  
She got up and went to make herself a glass of juice.  
  
She thought back on the past seven years. What would she have been doing exactly seven years ago. been in the library with Giles, Willow and Xander. There must've been some evil out there exactly seven years ago - like that demon Moloch that invaded the computer and almost took Willow away. . .or that mother of a girl that was a witch and had switched bodies with her daughter to become a cheerleader again. . .or that invisible girl that had set out to kill Cordelia and all the people close to her. . . Strange enough as it was, Buffy was starting to long for those simple days. What had happened? Somehow, everything had changed. Sometimes, a tiny part of her wished she hadn't destroyed the ultimate evil. But why. . .because each time she'd fought and beaten it, or saved somebody, she had grown closer to her friends. Now, she just felt as if they were all growing further apart.  
  
And now more than ever before, she was wishing that all the people that had ever been in the gang were here. Her, Willow, Xander, Dawn, Giles, Spike, Anya, Tara, Andrew, Oz, Cordelia, Angel, Faith. . .but that was never going to happen. Ever. Because 3 of those people were dead, 4 of them probably didn't really care about the old gang, and 2 were too far away. Before she knew it, Buffy felt tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
She was alone. More than ever before. Her friends were far away - not just physically, her family were either dead or oblivious to the way she felt, and her true love was. . .  
  
She was sobbing. Why was she so depressed? She had rid the world of evil that year; she didn't have any reason to be upset. She still had her two best friends by her side; there was no reason to feel the way she did.  
  
'Dammit, why didn't they live?!?!' She was infuriated, looking up at the ceiling. 'I died twice, and I fought back both times. WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DIE?! WHY COULDN'T THEY HAVE SURVIVED?! Tell me!!!'  
  
She collapsed to the floor crying. All she wanted was Spike to hold her now, like he had before. All she wanted was a shoulder to cry on from her friends, and reassurance that everything was going to be OK. All she wanted was her family together so that she could for once have a functional one to lean on.  
  
She had been the original slayer. She had been the one with no future. Back then, it seemed like she had so much to live for, she couldn't stand the thought of dying and leaving it all behind.  
  
But now, when she had been given a free ticket to a full life, with a proper job and opportunity to raise a family. . .all she seemed to think was that she wouldn't mind withering away right now.  
  
She needed something to bring her back to life inside. She needed a breath of fresh air. She needed it all back.  
  
Little did she know how close she was to just that. 


	4. Reunions at Wolfram & Hart

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry about the delay people. I wrote this chapter, then I had a whole new idea and re-wrote it. Your reviews still make me overjoyed, so please keep writing them!  
  
Chapter 4  
  
When Anya and Spike arrived in LA, they weren't quite sure what to do next. Neither of them knew where Angel was so they had to find their own way around LA. With no money and no guide. This wasn't going to be easy.  
  
'Hey, maybe if we found some demon bar or something, I bet you they'll know where he is,' Anya suggested. 'He's probably really famous around here.'  
  
Spike made a face. 'That would work great Anya, except for the fact that we need to find a demon bar. Any suggestions?'  
  
They were walking absently through the streets of LA. 'Just look around for dark hidden-away places?' She said weakly.  
  
'I suppose,' he replied hopelessly. He suddenly stopped. 'Hang on . . .'  
  
They were standing in front of the offices of Wolfram and Hart. 'Wolfram and Hart. . .' Spike said to himself. 'Why does that sound so familiar?'  
  
'Well, I dunno why you think it's familiar,' Anya brushed away is idea. 'It's a law firm, it's not as if we're gonna find Angel here.'  
  
'Do you have any better ideas?' he challenged her.  
  
She shrugged, giving in, and they made their way through the doors of the law firm.  
  
The people were working busily as usual, in their own evil way, but what startled Anya and Spike was the fact that as soon as they walked in, an annoyingly high-pitched voice called out 'Spikey?!'  
  
The two of them whirled around in the direction of the voice, only to find the most irritating person they could've.  
  
Harmony.  
  
'Oh bloody hell. . .' Spike rolled his eyes. He turned around to walk away, but Harmony was too quick for him, and grabbed his arm.  
  
'My little Spikey-wikey? Is that really you?! I heard you got dusted!' She put her arms around him, but instantly took them away. She glared at him. 'You. . .you're alive!' she declared with disgust.  
  
'Oh, thank G-d. . .' Spike muttered under his breath. 'I was afraid I was gonna have to surgically remove you. . .'  
  
Anya tapped Harmony on the shoulder. 'Hi. . .Harmony? Remember me?' Anya waved mildly at her, and Harmony cocked her head.  
  
'No.' She turned back to Spike. 'When did you stop being a blood-sucking fiend?!'  
  
'That would be as soon as I got a chip in my head,' he answered easily. 'As for the human thing, got resurrected as one.'  
  
Anya tapped Harmony on the shoulder again. 'Surely you remember. . .Sunnydale High? Halfway through senior year?' Anya asked hopefully. Again, Harmony observed Anya.  
  
'No.' Again, she turned her attention back to Spike. 'What do you mean, resurrected?'  
  
'Look it up in the dictionary,' Spike answered, looking around for any clues that could lead them to Angel. For the brief time he had gone out with Harmony, he had learnt to deal with her stupidity and shallowness.  
  
'No!' she shook her head. 'I mean, why resurrected?'  
  
Anya infuriatingly made one last attempt to get Harmony to remember her. 'Oh, for heaven's sake! Anya, formerly Anyanka, ex-vengeance demon, hung out with you briefly in the last year of high school, brought an evil Willow Rosenburg into your dimension, went to the prom with Xander Harris, hung around with the Slayer and co. after high school, and was part of the team that you were supposedly an arch nemesis of!!!' Anya took a deep breath, considering she hadn't during that entire speech, and awaited the reply.  
  
Harmony stared at her. She smiled widely. 'Willow Rosenburg? Xander Harris? Man, I haven't heard those names in a while. Weren't they those losers I teased since elementary school?'  
  
Anya gave up. 'Can we just see if there's any way we can get to Angel?' she asked Spike. 'PLEASE?!'  
  
Finally, Harmony was paying attention to Anya. 'Oh, you're looking for Angel! Yeah, his office is just down there.' She pointed down a corridor, and went back to Spike. 'So you were saying. . .resurrected?'  
  
Anya and Spike shared confused expressions. 'What do you mean, "his office is just down there", Harmony?' he asked carefully.  
  
'Well, it is. His little private detective company relocated here. Now they're working for Wolfram and Hart, and I'm his assistant.' She smiled broadly.  
  
Without another moment's hesitation, Anya and Spike hurried down the corridor, and burst into what had been directed to them as Angel's office. However, instead of finding Angel, they found Wesley and Cordelia talking over a case file.  
  
'Look, for the last time,' Cordelia was saying. 'There is no way we can get this guy off if twenty witnesses saw him stabbing his mother-in-law!'  
  
They both glanced up when they heard someone come into the office. Cordelia's eyes widened, and she screamed, as she fainted to the floor.  
  
Wesley was stuck on what to do, so he half bent over to check Cordelia, half removed a cross from his pocket and waved it at Spike. 'Stay back evil thing!' He also waved it at Anya, even though he assumed that it would make no difference on her.  
  
However Spike didn't flinch, but merely rolled his eyes. 'Oh, put your little cross away. . .' he took it out of a stunned Wesley's hands and put it on the nearby desk, obviously not affecting him at all.  
  
Cordelia's scream had probably been loud enough, as Gunn, Lorne and Angel burst into the office, almost tripping over.  
  
'Wesley, Cordelia!' Angel said hurriedly. 'What's going. . .' and then he caught sight of Spike and Anya. '. . .on'.  
  
There was a moment of silence as Angel and Spike stared at each other. Wesley was slapping Cordelia awake, and Lorne and Gunn were exchanging concerned looks.  
  
'Is everything OK man?' Gunn patted his boss on the shoulder. Angel didn't reply, just continued staring at the two figures who he had been told were dead.  
  
'Spike? Anya? I thought you were. . .'  
  
'Dead?' Anya finished the sentence for him. 'We were. But we were brought back, and we're both human. We'd tell it to you in more detail, but we'd like to talk to, uh. . .just you and sleeping beauty over there.' Anya gestured towards Cordelia, who was awake now and telling Wesley to stop slapping her.  
  
Angel had a brooding moment, and then he turned to everybody.  
  
'Guys, could Cordy, Spike, Anya and I have some privacy please?'  
  
The rest of them were hesitant, except Cordelia who was standing up now, ready for action.  
  
'Guys, it's fine!' Angel assured the rest of them.  
  
There was another moment's hesitation, until Gunn cleared his throat. 'Sure, we'll, uh. . .go check up on Fred in the lab.' The three of them left Angel's office and shut the door behind them. 


	5. Tension in the Office

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: I know you're all really eager for Anya and Spike to meet up with the Scoobies; I promise, it will happen, and very soon, you just have to be patient.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
'Take a seat,' he pointed at the two chairs in front of him, and invited Cordelia to sit on his side of the table. There was a moment of silence, and then-  
  
'What the hell is going on?!' Cordelia burst out. 'Weren't you two dead?'  
  
Anya and Spike gave each other a look. They turned back to Cordelia and Angel. Spike began: 'What happened was we reached the gates of what we think was heaven, and they told us that we deserved to be back on Earth.' He paused, and then added as an afterthought, 'As humans.'  
  
'I don't understand; how did you both become human?' Angel was protesting slightly.  
  
'We don't really fully know.' Anya answered him. 'This invisible voice just told us we had done something "remarkable",' she used air quotes. 'And that we both deserved to be on Earth as humans.'  
  
Angel sat silently for a moment. Cordelia, however, was ecstatic.  
  
'This is so amazing you guys! You get a whole new chance at life!' She ran over to their side and hugged them both, almost choking them.  
  
'So what do you two want?' Angel asked bitterly.  
  
'We wanna know where everyone went. And how they're all doing.' Spike started contemplating whether or not to mention someone. 'Have you heard from Buffy since the disappearance of Sunnydale?'  
  
Angel and Spike glared at each other at the mention of her name. Anya and Cordelia felt a lot of tension.  
  
'Yeah, we've heard from them all.' Angel answered eventually. 'Apart from Giles, who went to England, and Andrew who went to Nashville.' Anya perked up at the mention of Andrew's name. 'Oh, great - did he become a Buddhist like he said he wanted to?'  
  
All three of them gave her a weird look. 'I think so.' Angel replied confused. 'Anyway, as I was saying, apart from them, the rest of the gang moved to San Francisco.'  
  
'What about the other Slayers?' Spike asked, genuinely interested.  
  
'They went back to their homes to defend their area. Faith and Robin Wood are both here in LA though.' Spike raised his eyebrows at the mention of their names. He hadn't exactly gotten on with either of them recently.  
  
'So, they're in San Francisco?'  
  
'Yeah, Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Willow's girlfriend Kennedy all bought a place together.' Angel went on. 'Xander bought his own apartment, or as he called it, his "bachelor pad".' This time Angel used air quotes.  
  
'Hey, how did they, um, react when we, uh, died?' Anya asked curiously.  
  
Angel took a deep sigh. 'They didn't take it well. It took them a while to move on; in fact I think they're still pretty much mourning you guys.' Spike and Anya looked at the floor. Anya looked up quickly. 'Could we get their address? We'd really like to reunite with them.'  
  
Angel paused for a moment, just looking at the both of them, thinking how happy the rest of the gang were going to be when they saw them again. Angel quickly came back to Earth to answer her. 'Yeah, sure - it's here somewhere,' Angel turned around and started looking in the drawers. 'Ah, here we go. Cordy, write this out will you?' He handed Cordelia the sheet of paper, she glanced at it briefly, and then went on to write and chat to Anya at the same time.  
  
Meanwhile, Angel sat on the desk, and he and Spike were looking deeply at each other. 'Listen, I'll be honest with you Spike.'  
  
'About what?' He adjusted himself in his chair.  
  
'About Buffy.'  
  
They were silent, yet Cordelia's and Anya's chattering filled up the silence.  
  
'She loves you, Spike, not me.'  
  
Spike snorted and rolled his eyes. 'Yeah right, mate. Nice of you to try and cheer me up, but we both know that you're the one-  
  
'Then why has she not talked to me since she moved, and all that she's been thinking about apparently is you?' Angel interrupted.  
  
'Really?' Spike was surprised.  
  
'She told you she loved you before you died, don't you remember?'  
  
Spike frowned. 'If that's all you're basing it on, she didn't mean that. She just said that so she could make me happy-  
  
Angel interrupted again. 'Maybe then, but she loves you Spike. More than she'll ever love me.' He looked down at the desk he was sitting on. 'I gave up hope because I knew most of her heart would forever be with you. I was just sad that you couldn't be here to return the love.' He looked back up at Spike. 'But now that you're back, I think you have something to do.'  
  
'I'll only believe it, Angel, when I hear it from her.' Spike fired back.  
  
'Then do that, if that's what it takes. At least be grateful that you can see her in the sunlight.' This made Spike feel guilty. He did have an amazing gift now, and had a lot of things Angel never could have.  
  
Angel turned to Cordelia. 'Finished Cordy?'  
  
She wrote the last couple of words. 'Yep.here you go.' She handed it to Angel, who glanced at it briefly, and then gave it to Spike. Angel looked meaningfully at him, and Spike was starting to believe that he really was telling the truth.  
  
'Thanks,' Spike said. 'Just one last thing - how exactly can we get there? We don't have any money or anything on us.'  
  
'We'll give you guys money for a cab.' Angel seemed to want to get rid of them as quickly as possible.  
  
'I think a cab to San Francisco will be a tiny bit far.' Spike pointed out.  
  
'Oh, Angel, can I drive them there in my car?' Cordelia suggested.  
  
'Will you be able to get there?'  
  
'Yeah, sure, getting to San Francisco is easy enough. We'll just use a map from then on. It might take a few hours, but it'll be fun.' And then she added whispering, 'and also, I can't wait to see the looks on all their faces.'  
  
'Are you sure, because we could definitely-  
  
'Angel, I wanna do this.' She smiled. 'It gives me time to catch up with these guys.' She put her arms around them. 'Hey, do you wanna join us? We could make a big fun trip of it, leave at sunset,' Cordelia suggested.  
  
'No!' Angel immediately replied. 'Too risky. Besides, I have a date tonight with that girl Laura.'  
  
Spike and Anya looked surprised.  
  
'You got a date?' Spike said, looking amazed.  
  
'Yeah, why's that so hard to believe?' Angel challenged him.  
  
Spike looked at him defensively. 'Oh, nothing - I wasn't insulting your manhood or anything. It's just.apart from you-know-who, you never go out on a date.'  
  
'Well, this one's special. She knows all about the "vampire with a soul" thing - she's cool with it. And she's really sweet too.'  
  
They all smiled, even Spike, seeing Angel happy in 'life after Buffy' mode.  
  
'Anyway, you guys better go now.' Angel said returning to their previous subject. 'Try to get back a.s.a.p, OK Cordy?'  
  
'Sure.' She walked towards the door and opened it.  
  
Lorne, Gunn and Wesley hadn't gone down to Fred's lab like they said they would, but were standing there, quite obviously eavesdropping. They quickly turned around and pretended to be deep in conversation with one another.  
  
The four of them in the office raised their eyebrows.  
  
**********  
  
Author's Note (again): By the way, towards the end, if you're wondering why I gave Angel a girlfriend called Laura, it's just because one of my best friends Laura is totally obsessed with him, and when she read this (she's naturally B/A) she said: 'Spike can have Buffy.' 


	6. The Phone Call

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: Again, I say the Anya/Spike reunion with the Scoobies is soon (in fact it's gonna be the next chapter) but for now, we have to deal with the in-between. Also, I know Kennedy is quite an unpopular character (I myself love the Willow/Tara pairing) but she will be useful later on, especially considering she's a Slayer too.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
It was barely sunset when Kennedy and Willow came home from the play. Buffy had sorted herself out by then, and had put on a brave face as she had gotten used to doing time and time again.  
  
'Hey Buff, had a good day?' Willow asked cheerfully.  
  
Buffy pasted a smile onto her face. 'Yeah, great, just some alone time. How was the play?' She figured the less she went into detail about her day, the better. The last thing she wanted was for them to pity her.  
  
'We really enjoyed it,' Kennedy replied. 'I was quite surprised at how realistic it was - of course, it was done by a real witch, so she would know what stuff's really like.'  
  
'Oh, and the best thing happened afterwards,' Willow quickly continued. 'We got to talk to the writer, and we were really deep in conversation about my history as a witch, and she was so fascinated by my story, she wants to make it into a play!' Willow exclaimed.  
  
'Wow, Willow, that's great!' Buffy nodded her head in support.  
  
'Yeah, she's gonna write about how I got into magic, being friends with the Slayer, and of course my dark period.' She paused. 'She said she would be really careful about that part, and not try and make it out as if I was a villain or anything. She's really cool with it, she wants me to go over the script and casting and everything with her.' She started jumping up and down. 'This is the best thing that's ever happened to me!'  
  
'Oh, Willow, I'm so happy for you,' Buffy stood up and gave her a hug.  
  
'Hey, where's Dawn?' Kennedy asked.  
  
'Out at the mall with a friend,' Buffy answered plainly.  
  
'Oh, do you know when she'll be back? Cos we talked to Xander, and he said he'd come over tonight with a movie and we could all watch it together.' Kennedy explained.  
  
'I dunno, I'll call her cell.' Buffy picked up the portable phone, clicked a few digits on it, and put the phone to her ear. But before anyone answered, Dawn and Xander walked in through the door. Buffy hung up the phone.  
  
'Hey guys!' Dawn said, wincing slightly because of all the bags she was carrying. 'Guess who I ran into?' She indicated towards Xander.  
  
'Hey Xander,' Buffy said. 'Hey Dawn, you spend your college fund on what's in those bags?' she asked teasingly.  
  
'It's just some stuff I've wanted to buy,' Dawn protested. 'Really, it's not as bad as it looks,' she assured.  
  
Just then, the phone Buffy was holding rang. She answered it automatically. 'Hello?'  
  
'Hey Buffy, it's Cordelia,' the voice at the other end said. The connection was a bit scratchy; she assumed it must've been Cordelia's cell phone.  
  
'Hey, Cordelia!' Buffy was surprised, and her voice showed it. Everyone in the room was looking at each other with curious expressions. 'What's up? Is something wrong?'  
  
'No, nothing's wrong. Jeez, I call and you immediately assume something's wrong. What has become of our friendship Buffy?'  
  
'Oh, we had a friendship then?'  
  
Cordelia had made a face that luckily Buffy couldn't see. 'Ha ha,' she said sarcastically. 'Listen, I'm gonna be dropping by tonight, I have something to bring to you.'  
  
Buffy's face contorted. 'You're coming up all the way from LA? Is it really that important?'  
  
Cordelia glanced at the people in her car. She didn't want to give anything away, but thought she'd just tease Buffy for a while. 'I think you'll agree that it's pretty huge.'  
  
'But nothing's wrong?'  
  
Cordelia smiled. 'Nope, everything's great.'  
  
'Then what's so urgent that you need to drive up here straight away?' Buffy was getting worried.  
  
'Oh, for G-d's sake, am I welcome there or not?!' Cordelia was getting frustrated.  
  
'Of course. . .you are,' Buffy however was just confused.  
  
'It's a surprise, OK? I'll be there in a couple of hours.' She hung up.  
  
'But, wait. . .' she heard the tone and took the phone away from her ear, staring at it. 'That was weird.'  
  
'Cordelia's coming down? What could she possibly want?' Willow asked, a bit angry. She'd never really liked Cordelia much; she'd teased Willow a lot at school.  
  
'I really don't know,' Buffy replied, still staring at the phone. 'She said it was a surprise.'  
  
'A surprise from Cordelia?' Xander spoke up. 'That's never good.'  
  
'She said she'd be here in a couple of hours. . .'  
  
'And nothing's wrong?' Dawn checked.  
  
'She said everything was great. . .y'know, she was being really secretive about something.' Buffy finally put the phone down.  
  
'Well, whatever it is, we'll find out in a couple of hours, right?' Kennedy said. They shrugged in agreement.  
  
'Why don't we watch the movie?' Willow suggested, and they all made their way to the living room.  
  
**********  
  
'Was that Buffy?' Spike asked tentatively.  
  
'Yeah, y'know that girl's got an attitude problem,' Cordelia protested. Spike and Anya exchanged looks, realising that it wasn't Buffy with the attitude problem.  
  
'Anyway,' Cordelia continued. 'They're expecting us.' Then she smiled slyly. 'I mean, they're expecting me and a surprise. . .' She looked at Spike and Anya in the rear-view mirror and winked at them.  
  
'So how long 'til good old San Fran, Cordy?' Anya asked.  
  
'A couple hours,' she replied. 'So, what do you guys plan to do after the big reunion?'  
  
Anya and Spike made funny expressions. 'What do you mean?' Anya asked.  
  
'Well, so you say, "Hi, we're not dead, great to see you again" to the whole gang. . .then what? Where are you gonna go?'  
  
Anya and Spike were a bit shocked, because in reality, they hadn't really thought that far ahead. There was a certain 'and they lived happily ever after' essence about this, and whenever it was like that, they didn't bother to think ahead. They both realised they were thinking the same thing, so they tried to brush Cordelia off with a simple answer.  
  
'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it,' Spike said. 'What matters to us now is moving on from this period, starting our lives over.' He smiled to himself. 'Wow, I actually have a life now. . .' he privately celebrated.  
  
'Hey Cordy, I was wondering. . .what's up with Angel and his date? Has he been on dates before?'  
  
Cordelia absently changed gears and talked casually. 'Oh, no, Angel's not really the "going out" type. He hates dating. But Laura. . .they've both had a thing for each other for ages after he rescued her from a bunch of vamps. Angel felt guilty though about "betraying" Buffy or something by going out with another girl.' Cordelia paused. 'But now that she's shown she doesn't need him. . .he felt better about himself, and decided to ask her out. She said yes, and hey presto,' Cordelia took her hands off the wheel for a second and made a 'voila' hand gesture, 'Angel's got a girlfriend.'  
  
'Wow, really? Really a girlfriend? One who's name is not Buffy and who's not a Slayer?' Anya commented amazed.  
  
Cordelia smiled appreciatively. 'I'd say so. But, y'know, I'm happy for him,' Cordelia concluded. 'The poor guy's spent the last four years locked up, miserable, obsessed with work, and now he's gotten a ray of hope.'  
  
'And she doesn't mind the whole vampire thing?' Spike asked. Cordelia shook her head.  
  
'No, not at all. She knows about vampires, and knows that one with a soul is different. In fact, I specifically remember her telling me she preferred guys who weren't so ordinary.'  
  
Spike smiled, knowing from personal experience that a vampire with a soul was much more than 'not so ordinary.'  
  
There wasn't much talk from then on in the journey; just an enormous amount of anticipation as they got closer and closer to the reunion - the confrontation - that awaited them in San Francisco.  
  
**********  
  
Author's Note (again): If you're wondering about the Willow/play thing, it's an idea I was gonna use for a future fan fic. There is a sequel to this story, and I'm also writing the third part, so I hope you are all enjoying (I get from the reviews that you are!) because there's a lot more to come with this 'version' of post-S7. 


	7. Spiders and Surprises

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: Ah, the long awaited reunion. Yes, it's finally here, and I hope you all enjoy! By the way, if you get the idea that I don't like Cordelia, it's not true, I do like her, but I just thought she'd kind of be a bit bitchier around the gang, what with all the history.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
The rest of the Scooby gang had finished the movie that Xander had rented out. Ironically enough, it was one about vampires. The gang loved watching these kinds of movies, seeing how they were portrayed, and laughing at how ridiculous some of the ideas were. But all this taunting took a lot out of them.  
  
'Well, I'm beat, how about everyone else?' Buffy announced. They all nodded their heads in agreement. 'I'm off to bed,' Willow agreed. 'Kennedy?' She turned to her girlfriend.  
  
'Yeah, be there with you in a sec,' Kennedy replied.  
  
'Do you guys mind if I stay the night?' Xander's face got a slight worried look. 'There was this HUGE spider when I left, and I'm afraid it still might be there. . .' The rest of them smiled jokingly, considering he was the only guy, and the only one who was afraid of spiders.  
  
'Aww, Xander scared of a widdle spider?' Dawn teased. He looked at the floor, as if ashamed of his fear. The rest of them laughed in a friendly way.  
  
'It was not little-  
  
But before Xander could go into anymore detail about the spider, the doorbell rang. They all looked at each other, before they realised it must've been Cordelia.  
  
'Oh, Cordelia and her mystery. . .thing,' Buffy said, trying to find the appropriate word as she approached the door. Everyone stood back, expecting the worst, as Buffy opened it.  
  
Cordelia stood there on her own wearing her trademark smile.  
  
'Well, heya Buffy!' she walked in and gave Buffy a huge hug. 'Xander, hey! Willow, looking good! You must be Kennedy. . .and Dawn, hi!' she waved at Dawn. Everyone was raising their eyebrows - this was too fake, even for Cordelia. Buffy crossed her arms.  
  
'Cordelia, what is going on? Why have you come so far in the middle of the night? Because I know it wasn't to say hi.' Everyone's arms were crossed with high expectations which were not being fulfilled. Immediately, Cordelia's smile vanished.  
  
'Oh, alright, I was just trying to be nice.' Everyone uncrossed their arms, curious all of sudden. Buffy however, stood firm in her place. Cordelia just stared at her.  
  
'Look, all of you better sit down, because you're gonna be kinda shocked. . .' she walked over to the door, as Xander and Dawn sat, Willow and Kennedy held hands, and Buffy remained with her arms crossed, convinced she could take anything.  
  
'Go on, Cordelia, what's behind door number 1?' Cordelia raised her eyebrows this time, and opened the door.  
  
'Guys, you can come in now,' she called out into the darkness.  
  
'Cordelia, who are you. . .' Buffy began, but then she stopped.  
  
Spike and Anya walked into the house, weak smiles on their faces. 'Hi everybody,' Anya greeted them.  
  
The reactions of everybody were mixed. As soon as Anya spoke, Xander collapsed off his chair onto the floor, staring transfixed at Anya. Willow and Kennedy's eyes widened, and Buffy just stood there open-mouthed, her hands falling to her sides. 'Spike. . .' she managed to utter, before she fainted to the floor. Willow and Kennedy ran over to her, shaking a bit, whereas Dawn sat in her chair, staring.  
  
'Spike? Anya?' She got up, and rushed over, hugging them, but when Anya let go, Dawn continued to hold on to Spike tightly. Willow and Kennedy in the meantime were trying to revive Buffy, while Xander continued to stare from his spot on the floor. When Dawn stood back to look at them, she was completely lost for words. 'Oh my G-d, you guys. . .you're alive!' she exclaimed. 'I better not be dreaming. . .'  
  
'You're not,' Spike assured her, as he turned to look at Buffy. 'Hey, is she gonna be alright. . .?' Buffy was slowly waking up. Cordelia just stood there looking at her. 'Hey, it's how I reacted, and I'm fine aren't I?'  
  
Willow turned away from Buffy for a moment, completely bewildered. 'But.it makes no sense. . .you were dusted. . .' she turned to Anya, '. . .and you were slashed right in half by a vampire. . .there's no way you could've-  
  
'We'll explain everything,' Spike interrupted. 'We just need everybody up and about,' he looked deeply at Buffy. 'That includes her.'  
  
Xander had somehow managed to gain enough strength to stand up, although he was wobbling. He walked over to Anya, and she helped him stand, as if he were an old man crossing the street.  
  
'Anya, how did you. . .' he began, but she put her finger to his lips. 'We'll explain everything. I know it's a shock for you, but we're both alive. We just need you all to sit and listen so we can explain how.'  
  
Everyone was letting it sink in now, which meant they were in even bigger shock, and Buffy was wide awake. Cordelia, however, looked mildly bored.  
  
As they all sat themselves down in the main room, with Cordelia standing by the side, Spike and Anya both began their story.  
  
'Well, as you can probably guess, we both died,' Anya began. Spike gave her a 'what the hell' expression.  
  
'You want me to tell this part of the story?' he suggested quietly. Anya looked deeply offended. Spike continued anyway. 'We met each other in this white place.'  
  
'White place?' Kennedy enquired. 'What. . .like heaven?'  
  
'We think it was more like limbo,' Anya answered. 'Because we certainly weren't peaceful.'  
  
'Yeah, me and Anya here had a nice long conversation about our emotions before we realised something was wrong.' Spike went on. 'And then there was the Voice.'  
  
They looked at him with puzzled looks. 'The Voice, you say?' Xander asked, completely unaware what that was.  
  
'Perhaps the Voice of G-d, or the Powers,' Anya explained. 'We're not sure, but we don't know what else it could've been.'  
  
'So what did this Voice say?' asked Dawn, truly curious.  
  
'We remember something about us having died doing something remarkable,' Spike said.  
  
Anya finished his thought off for him. 'And how we deserved to be brought back to Earth because of it,' Then she hesitated. 'And also. . .we deserved to. . .to. . .' she looked at Spike desperately, wondering how she was going to say this. Spike however answered for her.  
  
'We're both completely human now,' Spike said.  
  
The whole room gasped so obviously, it was almost as if it was a play that had cued a gasp at that very point.  
  
For the first time since she'd fainted, Buffy spoke. 'Spike. . .you're not a vampire anymore?' she asked carefully. He smiled in a strange way that was generally satisfied, but not completely happy about something.  
  
'Yep,' he looked at her when he answered. But as soon as he did, she turned her head away, for some reason refusing to look at him. He was slightly disappointed, but the conversation flowed on.  
  
'So then what happened?' Dawn urged.  
  
'Well, Spike and I both got resurrected at the side of the canyon that was once Sunnydale-  
  
'In the daylight,' Spike added, as if this was the most important part of the story.  
  
'Yes, in the daylight,' she confirmed. 'We managed to hitch a ride on the back of a. . .'  
  
Spike gave her a warning look. He didn't want the gang knowing he had been on the back of a donkey cart. '. . .of a car.' She said the first thing she could think of.  
  
People looked at her confused. 'I mean, the backseat of a car, yeah. . .' she smiled at Spike, who just stared at her with an angry look.  
  
'Anyway,' she briskly moved on. 'We decided we'd go to LA. We knew Angel was there, and we thought he'd know where you guys were.'  
  
'You guys saw Angel?' Buffy suddenly interrupted. Cordelia used her hands to express her feelings.  
  
'Well, duh, how else would I have driven them here?' she stated obviously. Spike stopped them quickly before it erupted into a full fight.  
  
'So, yes, we talked to Angel, he told us you were here, and we came here!' he concluded their story. 'That's pretty much it.'  
  
'So you guys were just. . .resurrected?' Willow summed up.  
  
'Pretty much,' Anya replied. 'So, what's been going on while we've been dead?' she asked, trying to make small talk. The rest of them completely ignored her question, and sat there in silent observation of the situation. Spike knew how awkward it must've been for them, so he tried to break the ice.  
  
'Look, I know this must be a big shock to all of you, moving on from that time, and us suddenly turning up and dragging you back. . .' he paused to see if anyone understood, however they were reacting as if he had said nothing. 'And,' he continued, 'we totally understand if you don't want us in your lives-  
  
Spike was about to add something else, but Dawn stopped him. 'Are you kidding?' she exclaimed. 'We thought we'd lost you forever, it's been hell without you guys.' Buffy gave her a sharp look, but didn't say anything.  
  
'Oh, come on, Buffy, don't pretend. We've missed them so much each day it's become unbearable. You should know, what with you thinking of Spike every spare minute you have.'  
  
Buffy jumped up, and glared at Dawn, but still refused to say anything. Spike was secretly overjoyed, but just reacted as if it was nothing.  
  
'Really?' he looked right at Buffy. She looked directly into his eyes for a moment, and suddenly spoke. 'Excuse me,' she exited the main room. She couldn't believe Dawn could humiliate her like that, and in front of all her friends. What was worst was she thought it wasn't that obvious she was thinking about Spike all the time.  
  
**********  
  
Author's Note (again): I'd just like to know, when I post the sequel of this story, would it be OK for me to post it separately from this one if I told you all what it was gonna be called? I've got no other projects, so if you see anything by me, it will be the sequel, and it'll say so in the summary. 


	8. Taking Advantage of Second Chances?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: I know you're all eager for Spuffyness (and some Xanyaness), and I assure both of those will come, but there will be a build up for it. Honestly, the major events will come in my next story (this doesn't mean wait for this one to finish! Big stuff happens in the next three chapters) but when the long-awaited stuff does come, it'll all seem that much sweeter. I hope.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
As Buffy left the room, Dawn rolled her eyes. 'Drama queen,' she commented. Spike however was concerned.  
  
'Are you sure she's OK? Perhaps I should-  
  
'Nah, she'll be fine. Give her some space,' Dawn said, and straight away jumped and hugged Spike again. 'I still can't believe you're back,' she said, slightly muffled. He held her close, remembering the warm feeling of being cared about. As they let go of each other, he asked: 'So, what's been going on while we've been gone?'  
  
'Well,' Dawn began, 'after the destruction of Sunnydale, we slowly started trying to find a new home. We stayed in LA for a while, but then decided to move further away from all that, but not too far, and we ended up here!'  
  
'So you're going to school and everything?' Spike asked, genuinely interested. 'Yeah. It's all great. As for the rest of us. . .' she turned to face Xander, Willow and Kennedy. 'Xander has occasional building jobs, Kennedy's a waitress, Willow's a part-time CIA worker. . .' she paused to finish. 'And Buffy. . .has no job at the mo, but she's still trying to find one.'  
  
'Great,' Anya and Spike replied in chorus. That was when they realised they'd spent way too much time together.  
  
'Hey, do you guys mind if we. . .well. . .kinda stay here for a while?' Anya asked tentatively. 'Y'know, until we get places of our own of course,' she added quickly. The rest of the gang exchanged looks, which were not very positive.  
  
'Gee, we'd love to help Anya,' Willow began slowly. 'But I'm not sure there's enough room, and too many people living in this house at once. . .' she stopped and looked at the rest of them for support. 'Come on, back me up guys!'  
  
'Well, actually, there is a spare room,' Dawn remembered. 'And someone can crash on the sofa for a while - or maybe Xander's place. . .' she turned to him hopefully. He looked happy with it (really at the thought of Anya staying with him).  
  
'I guess. . .' he said, pretending to be annoyed, but deep down excited.  
  
'Excellent,' Dawn smiled widely. 'Spike can stay with you.'  
  
'What?!' This time he was shocked, and he didn't hide it.  
  
'Oh come on, you guys shared a place before, remember?' Dawn urged.  
  
'Yeah, but that was a very short time - it hardly counts-  
  
'Look Xander, I know you hate me, but could you just tolerate me sleeping there each night? I need a place so I can kick-start my life. . .' Spike pleaded.  
  
Xander winced. 'Fine. Sorry Spike, no offence man.' He reluctantly patted Spike on the back.  
  
'Hey, Xander, you were gonna stay here tonight. . .you don't mind sleeping on the floor or something, do you?' Kennedy asked apologetically.  
  
'Forget that, it doesn't matter now. I'll just take Spike home with me. . .' he stopped when he realised how dodgy that sentence sounded. Dawn covered her mouth not to laugh.  
  
'Hey, you guys,' Cordelia piped up. 'I know the last thing in the world you need right now is another homeless person, but. . .' she smiled, 'It takes a few hours to get to LA, and I'm totally beat.'  
  
'Well, would you mind sharing the double guest bed with Anya?' Dawn offered.  
  
'Why didn't I get that option?' Spike complained. Dawn ignored him.  
  
'I suppose that will be alright. . .it's just one night though, I hope you don't mind Anya.'  
  
'Not at all,' Anya said. Xander turned and whispered to Cordelia, 'watch out, she wheezes in her sleep. . .'  
  
'We'll sort everything out in the morning,' Willow decided. 'Like what Anya and Spike should do next.' Everyone agreed, and slowly started making their way to their sleeping destinations. As Spike headed out the door, he contemplated whether to go and talk to Buffy about each other's feelings, but decided against it, simply based on the fact he was too exhausted to fight for their relationship.  
  
Dawn climbed the stairs, and reached Buffy's bedroom, where Buffy was sitting cuddling Mr. Gordo (who she'd saved just before Sunnydale exploded) on her bed.  
  
'Hey,' Dawn said quietly.  
  
'Hey,' Buffy replied without emotion. 'How's everyone doing?'  
  
'Yeah, they're great.' Dawn began to explain. 'Cordelia's staying the night, and we've decided Anya will stay here until she finds her own place - Spike'll stay at Xander's.'  
  
Buffy nodded, confirming she understood.  
  
'Buffy, are you alright?' Dawn couldn't resist asking. That was when Buffy exploded and everything burst out of her.  
  
'You know, I can't believe either of them have the nerve to come back. Do they not know how difficult it was for all of us to get over them?! And they expect to just walk back into our lives as if nothing happened?! I'd love that, I really would, but it just doesn't work that way! They died, Dawn. Died. When people die, it's permanent-  
  
'You died twice and came back. That wasn't permanent,' Dawn interrupted.  
  
'Yeah, well both of those times my friends brought me back. This is different,' she weakly excused. 'Look, what I'm trying to say is, we weren't ready for this. I realised something, and believe me, all I wanted was for Spike to come back so that we could. . .' her voice trailed off. 'But now he's back, it just doesn't feel right. Just as I was getting my life back on track, he comes in and screws it up for me all over again,' tears were streaming down her face. Dawn sat next to her on the bed.  
  
'Let me ask you something,' Dawn said. 'What did you spend this afternoon doing?'  
  
Buffy looked directly at her sister. Was it possible she knew? 'Nothing much. . .'  
  
'Buffy, don't lie to me. I can bet you anything you spent this afternoon alone in the house crying.' Buffy's eyes widened.  
  
'How did you-  
  
'I can tell,' Dawn answered calmly. 'Buffy, I know that it hasn't been easy. Just because I don't spend my free afternoons crying - no offence - it doesn't mean I haven't thought about it. I suppose the only difference between us is that you've faced death so many times that you've automatically learned to accept it. I didn't accept it at all. Perhaps that's why it was easier for me to greet them as openly as I did. Because deep down. . .to me.they never left.'  
  
There was a moment of silent thought, and Dawn stood up off the bed, and approached the door to leave. But before she did, she turned back to Buffy for one last thought. 'I'll leave you alone sis, but just think about this. You've been given a chance to have the life you prayed for, the happiness that you thought was an unreachable goal. Now you have that opportunity - an opportunity that the majority of the world will never have - don't waste it.'  
  
She left, and closed the door behind her, leaving Buffy crying once more, but this time she was unsure of the reason. What did these tears flowing down her face mean? Was it sadness? Anger? Happiness? The confusion she felt was unbearable, and she lay down, her head full of worries, trying to clear her mind. But as she was doing that, she closed her eyes and found herself asleep in glorious dreams she hadn't had in a long time. 


	9. Breakfast Arguments

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: In this chapter, Buffy is acting like a bit of a 'bitca' (as Xander would say), and you might think it's a bit unlike her. . .but it will all be explained and get better, I promise.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
The next morning, Buffy woke up late, stretching and rubbing her eyes as if she'd slept a hundred years. Just as she was about to stand up, she remembered all the exhausting events of the previous night, and felt like going straight back to bed.  
  
Spike was alive. Anya was alive. It would all be different.  
  
She didn't want to think of the long discussions ahead of her - the tears, the pain - but then at the same time the possible happiness that was like the light at the end of the tunnel. She knew she'd have to face it eventually, and feeling like a school girl getting ready for a tiring week of tests, she collected up enough strength to get up, get dressed and take a shower.  
  
She clambered down the stairs, and found in the dining room that she was the last person up. Willow, Kennedy, Dawn, and the new faces of Anya and Cordelia, were all sitting around the table eating their breakfast of cereal or toast.  
  
'Hey. . .morning. . .' Kennedy said hesitantly. Obviously, nobody was being too cheerful or social because they didn't know how they could react at this point. It was all a huge mixture of emotions to express anything.  
  
'Good morning,' Buffy replied only out of politeness. 'Where are Xander and Spike?'  
  
Even as she said that, it felt strange coming out of her mouth.  
  
'They're on their way here,' Dawn answered her. 'Looks like we've got a big talk ahead of us. . .'  
  
Cordelia sensed the tension, and felt that she didn't need to be a part of this. 'Listen guys. . .thanks a lot for giving me a place for the night.but I'm all well rested now, so I better be getting back.'  
  
'No, Cordelia, you don't have to go,' Buffy said. 'Really, you're always welcome here; you were once a part of the gang.'  
  
Cordelia smiled weakly. 'Thanks, but if I'm being perfectly honest-  
  
'As you always are. . .' Willow muttered under her breath.  
  
'I wouldn't like to be present at the big emotional party that's gonna be held here. Besides - you guys have a lot of things to sort out, and you hardly need me around.'  
  
'Alright,' Buffy agreed. 'If that's how you feel, you better go now. Say Hi to Angel for me,' she added.  
  
'Sure,' Cordelia nodded, got up from her breakfast and went to the door, fetching her coat on the way. 'Tell Xander and Spike I'm sorry that I didn't get to say goodbye.' And with a final wave, she closed the door behind her, leaving the house.  
  
An awkward silence echoed among the five remaining girls, who just looked at each other for a minute. Normally, they would've had so much to say, but now it seemed as if their throats were clogged up by some invisible force. Suddenly, Buffy realised she hadn't had breakfast, and sat down to join them all.  
  
A few minutes later, a key going into a lock was heard, and Xander and Spike walked in through the door. Unfortunately for Spike, he had needed a desperate change of clothes, and the only thing Xander could offer him was a ridiculous baggy T-shirt, with something about skater boys on the front, and a pair of long baggy shorts. The outfit was the most unlikely thing someone like Spike would ever wear, only beaten perhaps by the Hawaiian shirt he had worn when he was hiding from the Initiative in Xander's basement.  
  
As he caught the bizarre glances the rest of the group gave him, he lifted his finger up. 'Not one word about the clothes. It was the only thing this moron could give me.' The rest of them laughed silently, and for a split second, it seemed to Buffy as if everything had returned back to normal, and those 6 months of misery had never existed. But when she came back to reality, she felt a jolt in her stomach and a slight dread of what awaited her.  
  
'Hey guys, come have some breakfast,' Dawn offered pleasantly.  
  
'No thanks, we already ate,' Xander put his hand in front of him refusing. Spike scoffed.  
  
'Speak for yourself. I could hardly call what you scraped together "breakfast".' He settled himself down at the table and helped himself to some toast and butter.  
  
After the generally silent breakfast, they all made their way to the living room. The seven all put themselves onto a sofa or a chair and for a few minutes sat in silence, which was broken by Buffy.  
  
'So now what?'  
  
They'd all been surprised by her voice, considering they had hardly heard it at all that morning. Spike felt his heart being tugged lightly as she spoke.  
  
'I think we need to talk more about the reason why Spike and Anya came back,' Xander suggested.  
  
'But we've already told you everything we know about that,' Anya complained.  
  
'Remember - the Voice, the resurrection, the back of the car. . .'  
  
'Yeah, but that still doesn't explain why you guys came back. . .' Dawn commented.  
  
'You know as much as we do,' Spike explained. 'The most plausible explanation, and what is probably the right one, was that we came back because we had done "something remarkable", and we in a way had "unfinished business" on Earth.'  
  
'Yeah, I was told I wasn't even meant to have died, that it was just an accident,' Anya smiled brightly.  
  
'Hey guys, I hate to butt in on the discussion,' Willow interrupted. 'But I don't think we should be worrying about why they came back at all, but more about what they can do now that they are back.' Kennedy nodded in agreement.  
  
'Yeah, that's what I'm mainly interested in too,' Spike confirmed.  
  
'Well, they could get jobs,' Dawn suggested hopefully.  
  
'Except for the fact that I have no qualifications,' Spike said depressingly. 'Apart from perhaps "murderous vampire for a hundred years", and Anya's only experience is owning the Magic Box, which she can't prove she's worked in considering Sunnydale's been destroyed along with everything else in it.' The rest of them sighed deeply.  
  
'In the meantime you guys can just stay where you are,' Dawn said.  
  
'Yeah, but they need to bring in some kind of income,' Buffy said wisely. 'Because Kennedy's waitressing and Willow's part-time CIA deal isn't gonna pay for your schooling, along with food for me and Anya.'  
  
'And my building isn't gonna do a lot to help me and Spike afford luxuries.' Xander added on to Buffy's thought.  
  
'Buffy, you could start by getting a job,' Dawn suggested slightly cruelly.  
  
'It's not as if I'm not trying!' Buffy protested. 'There's just not a whole lot of places that are gonna accept 'slayer' on my CV.' Dawn continued to glare at her sister.  
  
'Now, Dawn, there's no need to be rude to your sister,' Spike settled. 'Despite the difficulties Anya and I have with starting off, we'll try our best.'  
  
'Absolutely,' Anya assured. 'You guys don't mind me staying here for a while though? Because I can't think of a decent career that will help me afford a place in the next year.'  
  
'As long as you bring some kind of income into the house, space-wise it works out fine,' Kennedy said.  
  
'Then Spike and I will start applying for jobs straight away,' Anya said in an upbeat voice. 'Won't we Spike?'  
  
'Yeah,' he had been looking at Buffy and suddenly was shaken out of his temporary trance. 'Yep, straight away.'  
  
'I think we should take everything else regarding Spike and Anya's return slowly,' Willow said. 'It's not something very easy to get used to, but maybe after time it'll all seem normal, as if nothing ever happened.'  
  
'It's not that simple!' Buffy snapped suddenly that a couple of people jumped. She recalled her conversation with Dawn the previous night. 'You think two people can just come back from the dead, and we sit and talk here nicely about living arrangements?!' Buffy was getting infuriated. The rest of them were looking at her, shocked. 'Are you all brain-dead?! We're making small talk, when there are so many unresolved issues going on that we don't know where to begin!'  
  
Dawn stood up so that she could look down at her sister. 'You think we don't feel that Buffy? You think we don't feel the fear in front of us, the crazed thoughts going through our minds at this moment? We're feeling everything you are, except we're mature enough to accept it like human beings.'  
  
Buffy stood up and was almost at her sister's height. 'How dare-  
  
'How dare I what? Stand up to you?' she challenged. 'Quit being a child. You think we don't know that there are all these unresolved issues? You think we have enough energy to tackle them all at once?' Buffy stood and stared at her, clearly unsatisfied.  
  
'We all need to take it one step at a time,' Dawn continued. 'You're the brain-dead one thinking we can all sort it out right now. I know you're anxious to get all your feelings for Spike out in the open, but.' she realised she'd gone too far, as Buffy stood there open-mouthed. If she had been a cartoon character, steam would have been coming out of her ears at this point.  
  
'Dammit, Dawn, all roads don't lead to my feelings for Spike, so quit using it as an excuse!' she shouted.  
  
'Don't you think you're being a bit ridiculous with the way your acting about this, as if you're extra special and need all the attention?!' Dawn shouted back. This comment was replied by Buffy with a slap in the face to Dawn.  
  
'Whoa, guys, stop the bitch-fighting!' Xander jumped up and separated them, and they continued to look at each other with great loathing. Spike seemed to be left in the most awkward position out of all of them.  
  
'You know what,' Buffy angrily said. 'I don't care if you all turn on me like you did before, but I know I'm right. This is something that has to be dealt with, and not acted upon as if it's just another normal thing.' With that, she walked out the room, her head held high as she climbed the stairs to retreat back to her bedroom. 


	10. But is the Worst Word in the English Lan...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer - it all belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Author's Note: This is the final chapter of this story BUT not the end. The sequel will be posted very soon - details and spoilers at the bottom. Also, I will take this opportunity to thank anybody who's read my story, and a special thank you to all those who reviewed and encouraged me to write more. Don't stop reading, more is coming soon as you know. And lastly, I know a lot of you are eager for Spuffyness, and it is all on its way.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
'What the hell is her problem?!' Dawn exclaimed as soon as she was sure Buffy was out of earshot.  
  
'Look, Dawn, you need to understand your sister, be sympathetic to her,' Spike comforted. All he could think about was what Angel had told him when they'd seen each other - she loves you Spike. More than she'll ever love me. . . now that you're back, I think you have something to do. . .  
  
That was all that was echoing through Spike's mind. Were all of Buffy's reactions because of him? He needed to find out.  
  
'I'm going to go see if she's alright,' he told the rest of the gang.  
  
'Spike, I dunno if that's such a good idea. . .' Willow said carefully.  
  
'I don't care,' he called out as he rushed up the stairs.  
  
He reached the top floor which had not been shown to him yet, and began searching the rooms for Buffy. Unsurprisingly, he found her in the room with the door shut tight.  
  
'Buffy, it's me,' he called through the door after he knocked. 'Can I come in?'  
  
There was no reply for a moment, then just a weak sound was heard through the door, that Spike took as a 'yes' and walked in.  
  
For the second time in 24 hours, Buffy had retreated to her room, but this time, instead of lying on her bed, she was standing by the sunlit window, looking into the distance.  
  
'Hey,' she said. He walked over to her slowly trying to get a glimpse of her face in the sunlight, something which he had barely seen once before.  
  
'Listen, about what you said. . .' he began.  
  
'It doesn't matter what I said,' she replied. 'Nobody ever listens to me anyway, it's not like this time's any different.'  
  
'Buffy, you're right.'  
  
She looked up at him suddenly, and he saw the light shine across her face, and what seemed to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen was right in front of him.  
  
'What?'  
  
'You're absolutely right. There are a lot of things that need to be said,' he explained to her. 'But somehow I don't think a lot of those people down there understand what you and I both feel.' He was going over this so carefully trying not to offend her. 'We have a lot of things to say to each other, and I think we should do that right now.' He sat down on the bed, and beckoned her to him. She however stood firm in her place.  
  
Spike said slightly angrily: 'Buffy, I need to know how you feel so that I can get some idea of what's on your mind. There's no use in bottling up your feelings-  
  
'I love you Spike.'  
  
The words hit him like a thunderbolt. At that moment, everything in the world seemed to cease to exist, a whirlwind blew through his mind, and all he could hear in the silence was his heart speeding up at hearing the words. After he had talked to Angel, he said he'd only believe Buffy loved him when he heard it from her own lips. And he just had. Was this the confirmation of happiness for him?  
  
'But. . .' she went on.  
  
His eyes widened. 'But' was without a doubt the worst word in the English language. Nothing positive ever emerged in a sentence when the word 'but' was used. At that moment he felt all the happiness he had felt seconds before drain out of him.  
  
'But what?' he said desperately.  
  
'I need some time. And some space. As much as I hate to admit it, Dawn was right when she said that all I've been thinking about is you. Now that you're back, I really want you here. . .' she paused and turned her head away, not able to look him in the eye. 'Just, understand that I need to wait.'  
  
Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing. She couldn't make him so happy like that and then make him so miserable in the space of a minute.  
  
'Buffy, I have died and come back for you,' he stood up, took her by the shoulders and made her face him. Her eyes were swollen from crying. 'I know it's not easy, but I need you more than anything else. . .'  
  
'Then you'll understand.' Now she was looking directly at him. 'Time and space; that is all I'm asking for.'  
  
He let go of her, realising there was no hope in fighting for it now that she'd made up her mind. 'So, nothing then.' He said, feeling as if he wanted to cry himself.  
  
'No, no, don't get me wrong!' she shook her head. 'I want to be with you.just let me be free for a bit. . .get used to the idea that I don't need to spend the rest of my life as a loser who talks to their 10 cats,' she joked. He smiled.  
  
'That'd never happen with you,' he assured. 'But. . .OK,' he finally said. 'Until then though. . .if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, or anything else for that matter. . .I'm always here for you.'  
  
She smiled, and gave him her hand. He held it for a precious instant, and heat ran through him as he looked into her eyes. The love he felt for her wanted to explode out of him. . .  
  
He let go of her hand and slowly walked out the room, anxiously thinking of the next time he'd be able to touch her as he just had.  
  
**********  
  
Meanwhile downstairs, the rest of them were all enduring awkward silence.  
  
'I hope Spike can get through to her,' Anya said hopefully.  
  
'He always has, in many different ways,' Xander added slightly bitterly. He had never liked Spike much, and sharing an apartment with him was going to be absolute hell.  
  
There was more silence, and then Dawn spoke up. 'Anya, I'd really like us all to spend more time with you and Spike now that you're back. I think everyone will agree that while you were gone, we all realised how much we missed you, and now that you're back we want to enjoy every moment we have with you guys.'  
  
Anya smiled appreciatively. 'That's really sweet of you Dawn. Trust me, neither Spike nor I are going anywhere anytime soon, so we have plenty of time. But I don't want anyone else to feel they're obligated to spend time with us or anything-  
  
'We want to,' Xander stopped her. 'At least I do with you. I feel like I need to get to know you all over again, and I'm really looking forward to it.'  
  
Anya smiled even wider and felt her stomach lurch at what Xander had just said.  
  
Just then, Spike came down the stairs, and everyone looked at him, as if awaiting an explanation. 'Everything'll be alright,' Spike assured them. Remembering what Buffy had said to him, he said: 'She just needs some time and space.'  
  
**********  
  
Later that day, when everyone had gone to normal daily routines, Anya managed to steal a private moment with Xander in the kitchen while he was making a sandwich for himself.  
  
'Hey, Xander?'  
  
He turned around, his hands covered in his sandwich filling. 'Yeah?' his mouth had a bit of food in it, and Anya figured he must've been sampling his sandwich.  
  
'About what you said. . .looking forward to spending more time with me and all. . .did you really mean it?'  
  
He stopped chewing whatever was in his mouth and swallowed it. He brushed his hands together and removed any food on them. 'Of course I did, every word. Why do you ask?'  
  
She hesitated. 'It's just that. . .on my way here. . .I thought a lot about whether it was the right thing to do. . .to come see all you guys again. . .'  
  
He stared at her bewildered. 'Are you kidding? We're all overjoyed that you guys are back. Well actually,' he leaned in closer to her. 'I'm really happy that you're back - Spike, not so much.'  
  
She smiled. 'That's great. . .' Xander went back to making his sandwich. This was the time, Anya was thinking. She needed to let him know how she felt, he obviously felt the same way about her - and why wouldn't he? She was hot, and she was indefinitely human.  
  
'Xander, I'm really glad that you're happy to see me, because I really missed you, and I couldn't wait to see you again. . .'  
  
Xander took a bite out of his newly made sandwich. 'And all I wanted was to see you again too, Anya. I feel the same way about you as you do about me.'  
  
Anya's eyes widened. This was it, the moment she'd dreamt about for so long - they'd get back together, she knew it. . . 'You do?'  
  
'Of course!' Xander said. Anya smiled widely awaiting the next moment. Xander went on. 'It's great to have my bestest buddy back!'  
  
Her smile faded. 'Bestest buddy?' she said depressingly.  
  
'Yeah! Man, remember the fun we had as friends? It'll be great to have that again!'  
  
Anya's smile was getting weaker and disappearing. 'Friends. . .right. . .'  
  
He patted her on the back as he left the kitchen, and she flinched a bit while her face was turned away from him. 'See you later, buddy!' He called.  
  
Anya was left standing in the kitchen, feeling like an idiot. Well, more so than she was already. 'Great - just great,' she said to herself sarcastically. 'Xander as a friend. Just what I've always wanted.' She rolled her eyes with deep annoyance.  
  
**********  
  
Xander walked out the room smiling. As soon as he knew she couldn't seem him anymore, he wiped it away. Bestest buddy. . .what a load of crap that was. Anya was back, he'd wanted this so much.so why was he being so chicken about it? Why couldn't he tell her how he really felt? That he still loved her. . .and had never stopped.  
  
He promised himself he would tell her the truth. . .just when the time was right.  
  
**********  
  
In the next month, the whole gang had gotten used to living in their new way.  
  
Buffy was becoming more cheerful by the day, and it was noticeable by all her friends, because they smiled secretively whenever she came into the room happy about something.  
  
Dawn apologised to Buffy for being unreasonable, but Buffy objected saying that she had been the unreasonable one. Once again, the Summers sisters had made up after a fight.  
  
Spike, to everyone's surprise, was spending very little time with the gang, so that somehow it seemed as though he was a vampire again. He claimed it was because of his very demanding duties as a newly appointed nightclub bouncer, but Buffy was the only one that knew the truth about why he was away so much, and she appreciated it from him greatly.  
  
Xander started not to mind Spike living with him a huge deal, because Spike spent a lot of time either out of the house or locked up in his room. Xander didn't like to think what he did in his spare time, but decided to not discover by never going into Spike's room.  
  
Anya was living with the Summers sisters, Willow, and Kennedy, and was to her surprise being accepted very warmly. Kennedy had helped her get a job at her bar, so she was bringing in some income as well.  
  
The gang knew that the change they had experienced would make sure none of them would ever be the same. But they were reunited once again, and deep down they had vowed to themselves that they'd never leave each other.  
  
As Buffy sat on a hill looking down on her beautiful new home, she looked on to the future, and the adventures that awaited her. She couldn't wait to live through them all.  
  
**********  
  
Author's Note: OK, so this story's over, but there's a lot more to come. My sequel STUNNING LOVE will be posted very soon, and will give you a lot more stuff you've all wanted. The next story has more of a set-plot going on, including a bad guy. In the sequel: Somebody's stupid mistake leads one of the gang to be in fatal danger. There's only one way to save this person - and it requires EVERYBODY'S co- operation. Anya reveals her feelings for Xander - and Xander reacts in a way that shocks her, and will change their lives forever. . . Some definite Spuffy action - no more beating about the bush. . . And an old character visits. . .in a manner of speaking. . . There's gonna be a lot of emotion, pain and love in my sequel - STUNNING LOVE. Please, watch this space! Nat xxx 


End file.
